Here's what the CDC says about rabies:

Rabies virus is transmitted through direct contact (such as through broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth) with saliva or brain/nervous system tissue from an infected animal.

People usually get rabies from the bite of a rabid animal. It is also possible, but rare, for people to get rabies from non-bite exposures, which can include scratches, abrasions, or open wounds that are exposed to saliva or other potentially infectious material from a rabid animal. Other types of contact, such as petting a rabid animal or contact with the blood, urine or feces of a rabid animal, are not associated with risk for infection and are not considered to be exposures of concern for rabies.

As trappers, we often make head shots exposing ourselves to possibly contaminated brain fluid or saliva especially if scratches or cuts on your hands. Is this a concern, and if so how what precautions do you take?

I wear nitrile gloves when setting traps, handling critters, and skinning

The gloves keep my hands from looking like they belong to a diesel mechanic after a long day setting traps.....and to keep the critter nasties from inadvertantly ending up in a cut or scratch that I always seem to have on my hands.

Never shoot a live animal in the head.Especially if there is rabies in the area.You have a much higher risk of exposure to the rabies virus not to mention the bloody mess skinning and extra work trying to clean the pelt.
The very occasional live animal that I ever get gets shot in the chest or better yet dispatched in a bloodless manner.
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Yes, trappers are at risk of coming into contact with a multitude of zoonotic diseases. Anyone is contact with wildlife is at risk. Fortunately common sense and basic sanitation goes a long way.

Yep
That is why many of us invest in pre-exposure shots. Since $500 upfront plus a $200 booster, if exposed, avoids the $8000 series after exposure.

Trappers are at higher risk than the general population for the reasons already mentioned. Soon as I get my insurance I’m getting the preemptive vaccine

Most animals I take are live, and I do the same. Shot in the chest if I’m in a hurry, bloodless if I’m not

Even if you think the skunk is dead still pick it up by the top of the butt it’s better to get sprayed then bit any day, like said wear gloves when handling them it’s better to deal with them the next day or even in a few days. Sunlight and dehydration both will kill the virus the nice thing about skunks is they take a lot to break down keeping them on a shop floor in colder temps they will last a long time. Don’t keep them in direct sunlight very long a cold shop floor out of the sun long term is best.

That goes for all animals when you handle them with gloves always when putting them up if you rip a glove get a new one.

I had to get rabies treatment recently, I would do preexposure now if you had concerns. BEFORE insurance the treatment was $12657 dollars of which my out of pocket cost was 150$ insurance covered it very well but insurance coverage varies.

Don't forget that skunks are a natural vector for rabies, they can have the virus and not actually suffer from it.

You should always treat a skunk as if it were infected.

Other animals can carry nasty things as well and not show symptoms, it's always best to be careful with fluid exposure's and contact on yourself with open nicks or cuts when dealing with them.

A few years back I trapped more than 100 grey foxes on the outskirts of a nearby town over a 3 week period.. There had been 2 confirmed greys with rabies (bit people in a campground) amd 1 confirmed coon. Landowners were calling me to nuisance/control trap in November but I held off on trapping till fur season opened in December due to grey fox bringing $25 to $28 averages at NAFA.

Out of all those foxes, only 1 was obviously sick (matted eyes, swollen lips and tongue, slobering) with 95% of them being the fattest grey fox I've ever skint......more than most coons. Even so, I wore gloves, apron, and a face shield handling every one.

Wife said I was crazy....but helped spend that fur check.

I had a doctor some years back. I fired him. I told him, based on how I made my living as a taxidermist and nuicance wildlife trapper, I was interested in getting the pre-exposure vaccine. He looked at me and asked ......"have you ever had rabies?"....!!!! Seriously. Fired. I never went back to the (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman). He is still in my community and is the head guy at our local urgentcare clinic.

... that’s plagiarism out of the girlscout handbook Mr. Swamp

... coyotes, coons and skunks put on gloves and masks when they see me coming lol

It’s not rabies they are worried about buddy. LOL

Do you remove the gloves to P or do you risk it?

I pull the skulls off carefully that to me is the risky part with the teeth and the brain stem being the epicenter of the virus.

So it's $700 for the pre-exposure shots ? Will insurance cover any of it ? Does it last for life or once a year ?

I'm curious about this too.

I ask landowners not to dispatch animals so I can observe their behavior. I also wear gloves when handling critters along with passing time before skinning.

Got the Pre- exposure shots in 1986.
Get my titer checked every few years.
Not this year, due to Covid, health Dept said, nope.

But always good.
Was told if your titer is good after 20 years, you're probably good for life.

That said, know lots of old guys that have never worn gloves, skinned 10s of thousands, so must not be very easy to get.